Let's Study Revelation (Chapter 2) by E. G. Cook

CHAPTER TWO     In chapters 2 and 3 we see John as he is permitted to look forward through the centuries of this church age. He was not only permitted to see the conditions that would prevail in the churches during these hundreds of years, he was commanded to write these things in a book that we might have this prophecy. Let us remember this book is not an historical book. Our Lord calls it a book of prophecy and I dare not deal with it in any other way. I have no intention, however, of parroting anyone in dealing with these churches which we have before us. My whole desire is that I may lean heavily upon the leadership of the Holy Spirit for only in that way will my Lord be satisfied with what I have to say concerning His churches that are so dear to Him, Ephesians 5:25. Certainly the names of these churches are significant, and the meaning of these names should help us to understand the prophecy connected with them. EPHESUS     The first letter is addressed to the church at Ephesus, and the name Ephesus means "beloved," or "desired". Most assuredly the first church age in which our Lord and His apostles labored was greatly loved, and much desired. Some say the Ephesus church age covered the first century, but let us say it takes in that period of time in which the churches were suffering at the hand of the Jew's religion. The persecution by Saul of Tarsus is a good example of what I mean.
    We see in verses 2-3 that our Lord knows what goes on in His churches. How this should bear upon our conduct in His churches. In verse 4 He accuses them of having left their first love. The fact that the saints who had walked and talked with the apostles, and some of them with our Lord Himself had left their first love should give us some idea of the power of the claims which this old wicked world lays upon our devotion. When we are first born into God's family we feel that we will never allow anything, or anybody to come between us and our precious Lord, but so soon we find that we are human. How consoling it is to know that He remembers that we are dust.
    This church is commanded to repent (change their minds) concerning this matter or else He will remove their candlestick. In verse 20 of chapter 1 we saw that the candlestick represented the church itself. Only our Lord knows how many of His churches have become mere empty hulls through the centuries because He has removed their candlestick. This does not mean that He drags His people out and leaves just the building, but rather He removes His affiliation with that church. He no longer owns it as His own, and no longer works through it. How pathetic it is to see some of His precious blood bought saints become so enthralled with the things the world has to offer that they do not seem to miss the presence of Him who should be the head of their church. Certainly it becomes "their' church when He removes the candlestick.
    We find that before the churches represented by the church at Ephesus merged into the churches represented by the church at Smyrna, the Nicolaitanes were performing their deeds in the church. These deeds in the first church age became a hated doctrine in the churches represented by the Pergamos church. We shall deal with this hated doctrine and its consequences when we come to the letter to the church at Pergamos. In verse 7 those who have an ear are told to hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Some may say that everyone has an ear, but only those who have been born of the Spirit have a spiritual ear. And only the spiritual ear can hear and under stand what the Spirit says, I Corinthians 2:14.
    This letter ends with a wonderful promise to those who overcome. We should not be afraid of this word "overcome." Certainly no one will ever eat of the tree of life who has not overcome. There are those, however, who have given this wonderful word a meaning that is completely foreign to our Lord's definition of it. This they do in order to make it fit their pet theology, but if we allow our Lord to define it, their pet theology takes a tumble like Humpty Dumpty on the wall. I John 5:5 says, "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God"? Those who overcome are those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God are already born again ones. Romans 10:11 tells us that those who believe on Him shall not be ashamed. Verse 13 says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved". Let us be very careful that we do not jump the track at this point. We must remember that the old devil himself can call upon the name of the Lord in an intellectual sense. Verse 14 says, "How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed"? And in verse 10 we are told that it is with the heart that man believeth unto righteousness. Just believing in an intellectual sense is not enough. "The devils (should be demons), also believe and tremble," James 2:19. By accepting those who have only an intellectual belief in Jesus Christ, the churches are getting an over supply of these demons as a sort of bonus, since as a rule, these intellectual believers are demon possessed. We shall endeavor to deal with the tree of life when we come to chapter 22.
    May we study these letters to the seven churches with an open mind. Too often, it is to be feared, all of us approach a certain Scripture with a fixed opinion feeling that for us to admit that we have been wrong is beneath our dignity. But let us remember it is the open mind, and only the open mind, that the Holy Spirit will lead, guide and direct. SMYRNA     Beginning with verse 8 we have the letter that was written to the church at Smyrna. The word "Smyrna" means myrrh, and myrrh is a substance obtained from the stems of Commiphora Abyssinica, a tree that grows in the desert lands of Arabia and Abyssinia. This myrrh was used by the ancients as a perfume in the embalming of the dead. We are told that the more this substance was beaten and crushed the sweeter the fragrance. And certainly the beating and the crushing at the hands of Rome (first political Rome and later religious Rome) caused the Smyrna churches to send up a sweet smelling savor to our Lord. The Ephesus type churches merged into the Smyrna type churches, but let us remember that the Smyrna type churches did not merge into the Pergamos type churches. Rather the Smyrna type churches represents the suffering, true churches of our Lord from the time His churches were forced to withdraw fellowship from the apostate Pergamos type churches until Rome was forced to let up on her persecution by world opinion. This was one of the fruits of the so-called reformation.
    This persecution by Rome had already begun when the Book of Revelation was written. John was an exile on the isle of Patmos at the hand of Rome at that time. The Smyrna type churches suffered the most ruthless and heartless persecution during the "dark ages" at the hand of the Thyatira Church that this old world has ever witnessed. Thousands, yea millions of our Lord's saints who were members of the Smyrna type churches were beheaded, burned at the stake, thrown to hungry lions, or buried alive by the Thyatira (Roman Catholic) Church. In 1550 A. D. this monstrosity passed a law which said that if anyone was accused of being a heretic (all members of the Smyrna type churches were heretics in her eye) and refused to confess, that person was to be burned at the stake, but if they did confess it was different. If it was a man who confessed to being a heretic, he was beheaded, but in the case of a woman they were more lenient. They just buried her alive. For us to say that all churches during the "dark ages" were Thyatira Churches would be to have Thyatira killing Thyatira which would make us rather inconsistent. The Catholic Church admits that she killed so many heretics in Spain that the number could not be calculated, Catholic Encyclopedia volume 8, page 37. While Thyatira has always been, and will always be a bloodthirsty monstrosity, the true churches of our Lord have never had the least desire to kill those who refuse to believe the great truths which have been committed unto them. We pity the religionist, and would do anything in our power to get the truth of the gospel of grace over to him, but we would never touch a hair of his head in judgment upon him. Our Lord has not committed that type of judgment to His churches as yet. Since Thyatira has ever been a murderous thing, there was never a time when all the churches were Thyatira Churches. Therefore, we contend that Smyrna type churches existed all through the "dark ages" and that they blended into the Philadelphia type churches of modern times.
    In verse 9 our Lord says, "I know thy tribulation and poverty (but thou art rich)." Here we have a seeming contradiction, but there is no such thing as a contradiction in the precious Word. He says He knows their poverty and then assures them that they are rich. Someone may say, how could both be true? In this world's goods, and as the world reckons wealth, they were paupers. They had to hide in the dens and caves of the mountains for fear of the great monster, Thyatira. You see these seven churches represent the whole of Christendom, not just true Christianity. But in spite of all the material poverty of the Smyrna type churches they were millionaires in the Spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. Should the Fords and the Rockefellers offer me their combined wealth in exchange for my resources in the Bank of Heaven, I would laugh in their faces. Then our Lord went on to say that He knew of those among the Smyrna churches who claimed to be Jews, that is, Spiritual Jews, or saints and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan. I am fully convinced that we see here the beginning of the Pergamos Church which later developed into the Thyatira Church. The Smyrna churches were forced to withdraw fellowship from some of the churches because of their heretical teaching and practices. This first division, or split in the churches took place in 251 A.D., and I believe these heretical churches were the synagogues of Satan to our Lord.
    How comforting it is to hear Him saying, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer." These are, no doubt, the words that gave the saints in the Smyrna churches the strength to face the axe-man, the fireman, the hungry lions, or the open grave in such a way as to astonish the old monster, Thyatira. And then how precious it is to hear Him say, "Be thou faithful unto death (that is, though it cause your death), and I will give thee a crown of life." The crown of life is not eternal life any more than queen Elizabeth's crown is the queen. The crown is something extra that goes with being queen. Our crown of life is the reward a saint will get for being faithful even though that faithfulness may cause his death. Too many people are trying to work for a reward instead of being faithful for one. His saying, "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" is another way of saying that those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God shall never suffer hell. PERGAMOS     What a striking change in the tone and tenor of our Lord's words when He comes to His letter to the Pergamos Church. In His letter to the church at Ephesus He is the one who holds the pastors in His right hand (the place of power and honor), and the One who walks in the midst of His churches. In His Smyrna letter He is the One who was dead but is now alive. How comforting and precious are those salutations. But to the church at Pergamos He is the One who has, or the one who is wielding the sharp, double-edged sword. There is no comfort in this salutation. This striking change was brought on by the striking change in the tenor of the church itself.
    The word "Pergamos" means "exalted through marriage." How well this speaks of the conditions that existed in the churches from which the true churches had been forced to withdraw fellowship in A.D. 251. While the true, New Testament churches were suffering great persecution at the hands of the Roman government, these compromising churches be came the government's pride and joy, And while our Lord's true churches were forced to worship in dens and caves for fear of the Roman government, these churches were protected and supported by the government. With the so-called conversion of the Roman emperor, Constantine the Great about 313 A.D., these churches became married to the state. They were highly exalted in the eyes of the world through this union of church and state.
    When we try to compare verse 13 with verses 2 and 9 we run into great difficulty. You just cannot compare two different things unless you can find where they are alike in some way. Our Authorized version of the Bible says, "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is." But the Greek does not give these churches credit for having any works. It merely says, "I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is." Our Authorized version says, "Satan's seat" which might lead some to think that old Satan had come in to visit this church and that he had taken a seat in the congregation. But the word "seat" comes from the Greek word "THRONOS" which literally means a throne, or seat of authority. In His letter to the church at Ephesus we see our precious Lord walking in the midst of His churches, but here we see the old devil himself on his throne in the Pergamos Church. What a contrast!
    Even in our day the most heretical church groups in the world cling to the name of our Lord for dear life. That is all they want of Him, but they would never be able to fool the people without it. So here our Lord merely admits that the Pergamos Church is holding fast His name. Even the infamous National Council of Churches, although they hate the ground our precious Lord once walked upon, would not dare to turn loose His name. So they boast of being "The National Council of the Churches of Jesus Christ." Neither did the Pergamos Church renounce their faith in Him (that is, openly) even though they killed His faithful servant Antipas in their midst, even where Satan dwelleth. This word "dwelleth" comes from "KATOIKEO" which means to just settle down and be at home. This same word is used in Ephesians 3:17 speaking of Christ's dwelling in our hearts. Here it speaks of Satan's being settled down and at home in the Pergamos churches. These churches were the forerunner of the Thyatira churches. So we might say they were the embryo of the Catholic Church. THYATIRA     As we approach the letter to Thyatira we are immediately confronted with the blunt statement "These things saith the Son of God." There is most certainly a need for our Lord to tell this church in no uncertain terms that He is the Son of God. We have already said that the Pergamos churches were the ones from which the true churches were forced to withdraw fellowship because of their heretical teaching and practices. We also said that the Pergamos churches might be considered the Thyatira (Catholic) Church in embryo. But in another sense we might very well consider the Thyatira Church as a child, or offspring of the union of the Pergamos Church and the political world. We might say that the church that is prophetically set forth in the letter to Thyatira came into being with absolutely no conception of Jesus being the Son of God. Neither does she yet have any conception of it. A little serious study on the matter should readily convince any fair minded student of history that the Mary and Jesus that Catholics hold so dear are none other than Semiramis, the original mythical queen of heaven, and her son who were brought over from Babylonian Mysticism and given Christian names. Then since their Jesus is not the Jesus of Nazareth who was, and is in very truth, the Son of God, it was needful that this church be told bluntly that the writer of this letter is the Son of God.
    "His eyes like unto a flame of fire" tells us that He sees through all their mysterious doings. The Catholic people are held in awe by the mystic rites and ceremonies of their church. They have no idea that "Pontifex Maximus" the formal title of their pope was a formal title of the chief priest in the Babylonian Mysticism. They have no idea that their pope whom they almost reverence as God is nothing more than the chief priest of this Babylonian Mysticism. They have no idea that their church admits behind their backs that what is taught and practiced in their church is contrary to the Bible. (See "The Death Of The Pope And What He Has Learned" by John R. Gilpin, page 22.) They have no idea of all these things, but our Lord sees through it all.
    "His feet are like fine brass."
    Brass in Scripture speaks of judgment. So He not only sees through all their mystic doings, but He will, in due time, judge it. Our Lord gives this church credit for her charitable works. We must admit that Catholics do much charitable work. Others throw it up to us Baptists, and justly so, that Catholics are more reverent in their place of worship than we are. We should hang our head in shame at the very thought of it.
    Beginning with verse 20 our Lord lays bare the evil that is found in this church. First, she, "suffers that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce." There are different theories as to who Jezebel is, but this is one thing that seems to be as clear as the noonday sun. The Catholic Church says openly that she alone has the right and the authority to interpret the Scriptures. I am unable to see how anyone can fail to see that this Jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess is none other than the Catholic Church which says no one but her can interpret the Scriptures. They are one and the same. Old Jezebel is the woman who hid the leaven in the meal in Matthew 13:33. She is the old whore sitting upon (dictating to) the scarlet colored beast in Revelation 17:3 and she is the old whore who is to be utterly destroyed in Revelation 17:16.
    In verse 23 her children are to be killed with death. The Catholic Church calls the members of her church her children, but this is a misnomer since her members are always an integral part of the church. A child is born out of the mother and becomes a separate, independent creature, and is no longer an integral part of the mother. In Revelation 17:5 this old whore is spoken of as the mother of harlots. So it is only logical to say that the children who are to be killed with death are the churches that have come out of her and have become separate from her and independent of her. Verse 24 seems to indicate that there was a time when there were at least a few true saints in this church who did not hold to the false doctrine of the church. It is hard to see how that could be today, however. They certainly could not openly refuse to hold the church's doctrine and remain a part of her in our day.
    As the name Pergamos means exalted through marriage, so the name Thyatira means a continual sacrifice. The Catholic Church knows absolutely nothing about the Son of God's once for all sacrifice of Himself on the Cross of Calvary. She knows nothing of the sufficiency of that sacrifice. So she sacrifices her Jesus daily. In fact, their Jesus is being butchered every hour of the day some where around the globe as the priests celebrate their Mass. Are you not glad that our Jesus, the Lord of glory, has been raised from the dead and has been set at the right hand of the Father, and that He is alive forever more? It is someone else whom the Catholics sacrifice continually, thanks to our God.
    As we study the letter to the Thyatira Church let us not lose sight of two very important facts relative to this church age. One is that our Lord's true churches have been in existence at all times since His earthly ministry, and they will continue to be in existence until I Thessalonians 4:16-17. To say that the true church was embodied in the Catholic Church for hundreds of years is pure unmitigated blasphemy. The other fact to be remembered is that the other fellow's churches have come about by gradual development. The Catholic Church claims she has not changed in all the centuries of her existence, but history proves her a liar. For instance, the worship of Mary had its beginning as a church dogma in 451 A.D., even before this false church became Catholic (universal) which she did in 606 A.D. when Phocas, the cutthroat Roman Emperor, appointed Boniface III the universal bishop of all Christendom. But, after she assumed her catholic, or universal status she has continually added one dogma after another. In the sixth century it was indulgences. But, since these indulgences did not sell too well without a purgatory, the Catholic Church invented a purgatory in the seventh century. Then in order to make their church a more lucrative business, she invented saint and image worship in the eighth century. Now Catholics could worship their idols to their hearts content. With this dogma Jezebel had a field day seducing unsuspecting people to commit Spiritual fornication. Her field day is still going strong. In the twelfth century this heinous Jezebel (false religious system) not being content with her Spiritual fornication, invented celibacy and went into the physical fornication business in a big way. Now the beautiful young women who were being enticed to become nuns were not permitted to marry and live normal lives. The priests were not permitted to marry and live normally. Old Jezebel brought them together and nature took its course. When once all moral and Spiritual restraint has been cast to the wind, the fleshly lust knows no limitation. So in the next century Jezebel came up with another monstrous invention. This time it was auricular confession. By means of this all faithful Catholics must come to the appropriate place, that is, for the priest, and confess all their sins to him. In this way not only the nuns, but all the desirable women in his church are brought into the unscrupulous grasp of this insatiable monster. Should some young woman whom he desires attempt to defend her character, she soon learns to her dismay that she may have already unwittingly given him all the information he needs with which to black mail her from now on. This he readily threatens to do, not with a clear conscience, but without a conscience. If you find it hard to believe this, read "Fifty Years In The Church of Rome" by Charles Chiniquy, or some of the writings by other men who have come out of the Catholic Church.
    The pope loves to boast of his antiquity. He boasts of being successor to Peter, but since Peter was not in the pope's line of descent there is no connection at all whatever between them. If he were not afraid for his people to know it, he could right fully claim to be a successor to old Nimrod, the great grandson of Noah, who along with his followers really said, "Come, let us make us a way to God." This new way to God known as Babylonian Mysticism wears the name "church" in this age in order to fool more people.
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